Corn is a big deal here in Minnesota! Minnesota is one of twelve states that make up the Corn Belt, a region of the United States with major corn production. The corn belt states include Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio, and additionally includes Illinois and Iowa, which are the two top corn producing states. The two most prominent varieties of corn in Minnesota are field corn and sweet corn, and Minnesota is ranked first in sweet corn production and fourth for field corn production in the United States! The massive presence of corn in the state and the vast variety of the corn uses is exactly why corn education is so important in Minnesota.
You may have heard the word “maize” used in reference to corn. Both “maize” and “corn” are names for the same species, Zea mays, but the two names are used in two different contexts. Corn is often the word used to describe Zea mays in North America, while in reference to food products, and especially out of scientific and international contexts. Maize is the common name for Zea mays used in science, international context, and in reference to Zea mays as a plant rather than a food. Here in Minnesota, we use the name “corn” much more than “maize”.
Though all corn is the same species, Zea mays, the species divides into several subspecies and several varieties, which means that the species has smaller groups with unique traits from one another, but the different groups can all still cross-breed. Field corn, Minnesota’s most prominent corn variety, has the scientific name, Zea mays var. indentata. The “var.” in the name explains that “indentata” is the specific variation of the species. Sweet corn is the other important Minnesota corn variety, and its scientific name is Zea mays var. saccharata, another variation of the Zea mays species. But what exactly separates the two variations? How different can they really be if they are the same species?
Without further ado, let’s get this corn-versation popping!
Sweet corn
Sweet corn is the variety of corn we eat fresh, whether it be right off of the cob, in cans, or in frozen vegetable packs. Sweet corn is the corn you are mostly likely to know and love. In Minnesota, sweet corn is harvested in late summer and is sold on the cob in grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and roadside stands. There are several canning and freezing sites in Minnesota where this sweet corn is preserved so we can enjoy it year round (Map 28 Vegetable Canning and Freezing Sites in Minnesota).
Sweet corn is picked in the summer while the stalk is still green, and the corn kernels are juicy and plump because the crop is still immature. Sweet corn is more sugary and is shorter than field corn.
Field corn
During 2023, Minnesota was estimated to have produced 1.51 billion bushels of field corn. Field corn, also known as dent corn, can be used in over 4,000 ways when separated into its four different components. A Golden Nugget explains the four components: the endosperm, germ, pericarp, and tip cap. Some of these 4,000 different uses of field corn include sweeteners, starch, meal, and oil, which are used in foods, wallpaper, skateboards, cosmetics, plastic, and even pillow stuffing. The two most common uses for field corn, however, is for livestock feed and for ethanol biofuel.
Field corn is harvested in the fall once the plants are dry and mature, with hard kernels. The kernels have a distinctive dent on the top, hence the “dent corn” name sometimes used. Field corn is starchy, with a bland taste and mealy texture.
The unique features, uses, and varieties of corn provide a-maize-ing context for student engagement in science, social studies, and language arts. Explore these corn-themed lessons for ideas and inspiration about integrating corn into your classroom.
“Corn an A-maizing Plant: Food, Fuel, and Plastic” (3-5 Lesson)
- Students examine the growth, composition, history, and uses of corn through a close reading activity, discussion of renewable and non-renewable resources, and hands-on exploration of bioplastics made from corn.
“Get Popping!” (3-5 Lesson)
- Students discover how popcorn is grown and explore the phenomenon of how popcorn pops.
“Growing America” (6-8 Lesson)
- Students determine corn anatomy and function of plant parts, identify stages of plant development in corn, and research how temperature plays a role in corn growth as they calculate growing degree units (GDUs) for a region.
“Biofuels and Bioproducts” (9-12 Lesson)
- Through a series of activities, students explore fermentation and ethanol production, observe the role of enzymes in fermentation, analyze nutrient values of dent corn, and discover how biofuels are made from plant oils.
